Those who by baptism have put on
Christ have professed that they will copy his manner of life which he
led in the flesh. Those therefore who adorn and arrange their
hair to the detriment of those who see them, that is by cunningly
devised intertwinings, and by this means put a bait in the way of
unstable souls, we take in hand to cure paternally with a suitable
punishment: training them and teaching them to live soberly, in
order that having laid aside the deceit and vanity of material things,
they may give their minds continually to a life which is blessed and
free from mischief, and have their conversation in fear, pure, [and
holy386386 These words only
in the Latin.]; and thus come as near as possible to
God through their purity of life; and adorn the inner man rather than
the outer, and that with virtues, and good and blameless manners, so
that they leave in themselves no remains of the left-handedness of the
adversary. But if any shall act contrary to the present canon let
him be cut off.

Notes.

Ancient Epitome of Canon
XCVI.

Whoever twist up their hair into artistic plaits for the
destruction of the beholders are to be cut off.

For the intricate manner of dressing the hair used in
the East, and for a description of the golden dye, see the scholion of
Zonaras. Van Espen remarks that the curious care for somebody
else’s hair in the form of wigs, so prevalent with many laymen
and ecclesiastics of his day, is the same vice condemned by the canon
in another shape.387387 It is curious to
note that so great was the care of the clergy for their wigs that the
very shape of the vestments was changed so as not to disturb them, and
the surplices were slit all the way down the front, as they continue in
some places even down to our own days, after the original cause had
long passed away.

387 It is curious to
note that so great was the care of the clergy for their wigs that the
very shape of the vestments was changed so as not to disturb them, and
the surplices were slit all the way down the front, as they continue in
some places even down to our own days, after the original cause had
long passed away.